Self-wringing mop



Jan. 15, 1963 c. N. CONE 3,072,943

SELF-WRINGING MOP Filed Sept. 26, 1958 INVENTOR CLARENCE N- CONE BY 9/05min $1 J0 [17mm ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,072,943SELF-WRINGING MGP Clarence N. Cone, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa. Filed Sept. 26,1958, Ser. No. 763,615 6 Claims. (cl. 1s-119 This invention relatesgenerally to mops and the like devices, and more particularly to aself-wringing mop, and attachment means for conventional mops to convertthem to self-wringing mops.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved mop of thecharacter described, and which is of simple construction and operation,and which may be built-in to a mop during its manufacture to provide aself-wringing mop, or solid as a wringer accessory for installation on anon-wringing mop to provide the same with means for wringing the mop,thus converting it to a self-wringing 'I he wringer device of theinvention is broadly useful for mechanically squeezing liquids fromstrands or woven materials, and, for example, as fabricated from fiberssuch as cotton, wool, leather or various other natural or syn theticmaterials which have the property of readily absorbing liquids.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple constructeddevice for wringing liquids, such as water, oil or the like, from thestrands of a mop and whereby the operator can manipulate the device towring the mop without the hands coming into contact with the strands ofthe mop. a

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel roller-squeezingmeans for mops which is adapted to be moved into position to completelyencircle the strands while simultaneously bringing about twisting of themop handle to accentuate the wringing operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel liquidextracting mechanism which is readily attached to the handle of a mopand operated by one using the mop, whereby wringing of the mop maybecarried out automatically by a sliding movement of the mechanism axiallyalong the mop handle.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description and in which anovel mop wringing attachment and novel self-wringing mop is illustratedand described.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention and its operation, apreferred embodiment of the wringing attachment for mops and built-inself-wringing mops is shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a mop wringer attachment embodying myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of an enlarged scale, and partly insection, and taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of thearrows;

FIG. 3 is a view in cross-section and taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective and illustrating the wringing device ofFIG. 1 installed on the handle of a mop showing how the operatormanipulates the same;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective as in FIG. 4, and illustrating a mop inthe process of being wrung by the wringing device of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to that in FIG. 5, but showing thewringing device as used on a rectangularhead shaped mop.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 through 6,a mop wringer attachment generally designated 1h. The attachmentcomprises a mop squeezer means 11 which consists of two co-acting mopsqueezing arm members 12, and which may comprise squeeze rollers3,072,943 Patented Jan. 15, 1953 12a. The mop squeezing members 12 aremounted on the lower end of a pair of elongated rods 13 which arearranged in juxtaposition. These rods 13, carrying the mop squeezingmembers 12, are mounted in a tubular support 13a which extends along thelength of the rods and which holds the same rigid and closely adjacentso that they cannot be flexed apart while permitting the rods to rotatein the support. The rods 13 comprise upwardly bent angle sections 14 attheir lower end and which extend at approximately right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the rod and on which a roller 12a may be mounted tofacilitate the movement of the squeezing arm members over the strands ofthe mop.

On the lower end, the rods 13 terminate in an arcuateshaped portion 15which extends outwardly and is bent around backward, as shown in FIG. 1.The bent portions 15 are curved outwardly in opposite directions fromthe mop-squeezing members 12 as shown in FIG. 1 to provide means forgathering and holding the wet strands of a mop while the same aresqueezed between the members 12 and as best illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5and 6.

The rods 13 extend upwardly from the tubular support 13a in which theyare rotatably retained and through a saddle or yoke 16. This yoke 16comprises an integral, elongated tube means 17 which is adapted toslidably receive the handle 18 of a mop 20, such as is shown in FIGS. 4,5 and 6.- A ring 21 is fixedly mounted on the lower end of the yoke 16and which functions as a guide and stop means for engaging a head orband 22 of a mop when the wringer attachment is moved downwardly overthe handle of the mop during the wringing operation. This ring 21 alsoguides and steadies the wringer attachment as the same is moved over themop handle.

An extension 23 is provided on the tube 17 which may be grasped by theoperator to facilitate manipulation of the wringer attachment. At theupper end of the squeeze rods 13, the same are provided with 'CO-aCtinggears 25 which engage and provide means .for rotating the rods in unisonto position the mop squeezing arms or rollers about the strands of themop and to exert a squeezing force therebetween. Handle members 26 aresuitably provided on the upper ends of the rods 13 which facilitatemanipulation of the mop squeezing member 12. As will be seen, byswinging the handles 26 downwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 5 .and indotted lines in FIG. 1, the mop squeezing arms, having the rollers 12a,are brought in squeezing contact with the strands of the mop and at thesame time the operator can twist the handle 18 of the mop so as to wringout the same as illustrated by the arrows in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In FIG. 6 a rectangular headed mop is illustrated as at 30 to which thewringer attachment of this invention may be applied. In this instance,the handle of the mop may be twisted back and forth rather than rotated,to allow for the rectangular shape of the head of the mop, which,otherwise, would interfere with the squeeze rods 13.

The portion of the mop and its wringer attachment as illustrated inFIGS. 1-6 will be readily understood from the drawings and it is deemedunnecessary to further describe the same.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention,it is to be understood that various modifications and substitutions maybe made within the scope of this invention, and it is not desired tolimit the particular form and structure herein disclosed and described,except insofar as restricted by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mop having liquid absorptive strands, an attachment therefor forproviding a self-wringing mop, said attachment comprising an elongatedtubular guide means slidably mounted over the handle of a mop, meanscomprising a pair of rotatable rods carried by said tubular guide meanswhich are adapted to be rotated and moved longitudinally andindependently of said mop handle, said rods being elongated andextending parallel with said tubular guide means, means comprisingcor-acting squeezing arms on the lower end of said rods and movable insqueezing engagement with said mop for wringing the same, and meanscomprising levers connected to the upper end of said rods for rotatingsaid rods about their longitudinal axes to position said squeezing armsin gripping engagement with the strands of said mop, said rods and saidsqueezing arms being carried by said tubular guide and being movable asa unit axially of the handle of the mop while said squeezing arms are ingripping engagement with said mop to'wring the mop.

2. In a mop, the construction as defined in claim 1, wherein saidsqueezing arms are equipped with rollers and said rods are gearedtogether for actuation whereby said arms are brought in squeezingengagement with the strands of the mop to wring the same.

3. In combination with a mop of the character described, attachmentmeans slida-bly mounted on the handle and axiallyslidable relativethereto for wringing the mop, said attachment means comprising a tubularmeans rotatably mounted on said handle, a plurality of juxtapositionedrods rotatably mounted on said tubular means and arranged parallelthereto, said rods terminating in coacting squeezing arms for engagingand squeezing said mop, coacting gear means on said rods for gearing thesame together for simultaneous rotation, means comprising a leverengageable with said rods for rotating the same in opposite directionsto forcibly press said squeezing arms about said mop while movingsaidtubular means axially of said handle to wring the mop.

4. 'In combination with a mop of the character described, aself-wringing attachment which is mounted on the handle of said mop andmanipulated to wring the mop,

, mop handle, coacting gear means on said rods for gearing saidattachment comprising a tubularmember rotatably the same together forsimultaneous rotation, and lever arm means on the upper end of saidelongated rods and operable to bring said squeezing arms in pressingengagement with said mop whereby to squeeze the same.

5. In a mop having liquid absorptive strands, an attachment therefor forproviding a self-wringing mop, said attachment comprising an elongatedtubular guide means rotatably mounted on said handle of the mop, meanscomprising a pair of rods carried by said tubular guide means which areadapted to be moved as a unit longitudinally of said mop handle,coacting gear means on said rods for gearing the same together forsimultaneous rotation, means comprising coacting squeezing arms disposedon the lower end of said rods and movable in squeezing engagement withsaid mop for wringing the same, and means comprising hand-operatedlevers operatively connected to said rods for rotating said rods toposition said squeezing arms in gripping engagement with the strands ofsaid mop while moving said rods and said squeezing arms axially of thehandle of the mop to wring the mop, said mop handle being rotatableindependently of said attachment.

6. In combination with a mop of the character described, an attachmentmeans slidable axially over the handle of the mop for wringing the mop,said attachment means comprising a tubular guide member mounted on saidhandle, parallel juxtapositioned rotatably mounted rods carried by saidtubular guide member which terminate in coacting squeezing arms forengaging and squeezing said mop, means comprising lever arms on the rodsfor rotating said rods simultaneously to forcibly press said squeezingarms against said mop and moving said squeezing arms axially relative tosaid mop handle to wring the mop, said parallel rods being gearedtogether for simultaneous rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,546,699 Adams July 21, 1925 1,702,885 Adams Feb. 19, 1929 1,932,466Kawasaki Oct. 31, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 314,730 Great Britain July 4,1929 553,287 Great Britain May 14, 1943

1. IN A MOP HAVING LIQUID ABSORPTIVE STRANDS, AN ATTACHMENT THEREFOR FOR PROVIDING A SELF-WRINGING MOP, SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR GUIDE MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED OVER THE HANDLE OF A MOP, MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ROTATABLE RODS CARRIED BY SAID TUBULAR GUIDE MEANS WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED AND MOVED LONGITUDINALLY AND INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID MOP HANDLE, SAID RODS BEING ELONGATED AND EXTENDING PARALLEL WITH SAID TUBULAR GUIDE MEANS, MEANS COMPRISING CO-ACTING SQUEEZING ARMS ON THE LOWER END OF SAID RODS AND MOVABLE IN SQUEEZING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MOP FOR WRINGING THE SAME, AND MEANS COMPRISING LEVERS CONNECTED TO THE UPPER 